Budding chefs compete in Vallejo cooking contest

Seventeen Vallejo students put on their chef hats and tied their aprons Saturday for the first Junior Chef Challenge cooking competition at Dan Foley Recreation Center.

The students from Loma Vista Elementary School, Elsa Windenmann Elementary School and Solano Middle School worked in teams, according to their schools, to compete for an opportunity to submit a recipe to first lady Michelle Obama's Healthy Lunchtime Challenge.

The winner of that challenge stands a chance to attend the Kids' State Dinner in Washington in July and prepare the entry.

Saturday's competition is a part of the 2013 Kids Cook With Heart program, by the American Heart Association, which is a 20-week after-school program attended by 25 students from each school. The students range from fourth to sixth grade. They were taught cooking and knife skills, nutrition and life skills by Pittsburg-based Chef Berlin Lillard II.

Eight students -- five cooks and three preps -- were chosen from each school to participate in the Junior Chef Challenge, funded by Kaiser Permanente. However, not everyone could make it to the competition.

"These kids are the best in the class," Vicki Williams of the American Heart Association said.

And they were serious.

The children were tested in five categories during the competition: knife skills, preparing a salad recipe and a recipe of their choice, table etiquette, and cooking and nutrition trivia.

Willisha said she has learned many things from her weeks in the culinary class.

"I learned about all the good stuff, and bad stuff in food. What's healthy, what's unhealthy for me," she said. "And I learned how to cook!"

Lillard said it's mission accomplished when he sees the students and their parents are excited about healthier food choices.

He said apart from skills around the kitchen, he also tries to instill teamwork and good lifestyle habits in his students.

"When (the students) get into an argument, or they don't want to work together, I tell them, 'We all got to eat. Why not break bread instead of throwing bread (at each other),' " Lillard said.

In the chef's eyes, all the students were winners.

"I don't miss the restaurant industry anymore," Lillard, who owns a catering company, said lightheartedly. "This program is awesome, I love it. I'd like to see this program year round, across the country."

Lillard is not the only adult who is impressed by the students. The parents said they have seen some changes in their children as well.

"She's become much more assertive, responsible, and helps out more in the kitchen," Eylonda Gums said of her daughter, Elsa Windenmann student India Duncan.

Loma Vista student Kate Gallegos' mother, Martha Quezada, also said Kate has been eating breakfast and more vegetables since she started the program.

"She's more interested in what she's eating," Quezada said. "(The program) is a great idea."

Various Vallejo schools have been participating in the program since 2011, and Williams said it will continue next school year.

"We are going to keep it at the elementary level," she said. "It works very well, and we want to plant that seed young."